Electrical chance device



United States Patent 3,272,511 ELECTRICAL CHANCE DEVICE Ennio Joseph Zarich, 747 Greenwich St., San Francisco, Calif.

Filed Feb. 18, 1964, Ser. No. 345,783 3 Claims. (Cl. 273-141) This invention relates to an amusement device and, more specifically, to a game of chance.

The invention provides a very compact unit presenting an interesting and attractive appearance during operation and providing such random arrangements as add to its attractiveness and interest and make it difficult for an observer to detect the sequence of selection of the members.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred form of the device.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a device embodying the principles of the invention, with the electric cord being broken off to conserve space.

FIG. Zis a diagrammatic view showing a part of the electrical circuit, namely, light bulbs and the connections of some of them to a stepping switch.

FIG. 3 is a view in elevation and in section of a stepping switch which may be used in the present invention.

The device 5 is seen from the exterior (see FIG. 1) includes a frame 6 having a panel 7 on the front face thereof. The panel 7 is made of glass or plastic, preferably frosted, which has been ruled by vertical and horizontal lines to provide a series of squares 8. In this instance forty-eight such squares 8 are shown.

Inside the frame 6 and behind the front panel 7 are a number of electric light bulbs 9, one for each square 8, and behind the light bulbs 9 is a stepping switch 10 having a motor 11, a series of stationary contacts 12, one for each electric light bulb 9 and for each square 8. The motor 11 rotates a brush 13 which passes over and makes contact with each contact 12, one at a time. A pushbutton switch 14 on the frame 6, when pressed down, closes the circuit from a cord 15 to the motor 11. The electric cord 15 is adapted to be attached to any source of current, such as conventional 60-cycle 110-volt current. A timer switch 16 is provided in the circuit in such a way that release of the pushbutton switch 14 starts operation of the timer, so that there is about a twenty second delay between release of the pushbutton switch 14 and opening of the timer switch 16, which completes opening of the circuit to the motor 11.

An important feature of the invention is that the numbers are arranged on the panel 7 in random or irregular order, an arrangement which does not conform to any set pattern. Thus in FIG. 1, No. 1 is shown neither at the end or the beginning of any row, although it might be there if that were desired, so long as it bears no particular relationship in position to numbers 2 or 3 and so on. Furthermore, the lamp bulbs 9 are wired to the contacts 12 in a random order which is different both from the order in which the panel is set up and from regular numerical order. For example, comparing FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the lamp contacts 12 will be engaged by the brush 13 so that the first number lighted, moving clockwise from the top, will be 39 (bottom left corner), the second one will be 19 at the top right-hand corner, the third one will be 35 at the third row from the left, second row down, the fourth will be 15 on the bottom row third from the right, the fifth will be 21 on the lefthand row second from the bottom, and the sixth 33 on the third row down the right-hand side. This nonpredictable sequence continues through the entire panel.

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Thus, there is apparently a quite random flashing of lights 9 behind the randomly arranged number squares 8, so that anyone watching the device 5 in operation would have a very difficult time picking the sequence of light flashing and would be led to believe that there is a random selection of lights blinking on and off, probably not even noticing the cyclic nature. When the synchronous motor 11 is started, the brush 13 moves at a speed fast enough (e.g., one cycle every one or two seconds) so that the lights appear to be blinking all over the place in no particular order that can be determined by the usual observer.

In playing the game, each player selects one or more numbers and may be given a paper stub or something to represent each number or he may simply make a selection which is noted by the operator or someone else so that his selection is determined before the operation starts. Then the operator presses the switch button 14 to start the rotation of the stepping switch 10. As the brush 13 moves around, the lights 9 rapidly blink on and off in the order of the movement of the stepping switch but apparently in quite random order both as to the location on the board and as to the actual numbers involved. The arrangement in irregular order therefore gives an impression of chance operation stronger than would the arrangement in any regular order or any regular order of blinking. Upon release of the switch 14, the stepping switch 10 is kept moving by a timer 16, which keeps the panel 7 blinking for about fifteen to twenty seconds, and finally slows to a stop as a particular number square remains lighted; this is the winning number. Since those playing the game cannot see the stepping switch 10 as it slows down, an element of interest and excitement is added to the game. They are not quite sure just when it will stop until it is finally evident by its prolonged dwelling on the particular number that that is the winning number.

As a result of the random arrangement and the concealed stepping switch, a favourable interest is created by the blinking, by the random selection, and by the anxiety as to where the unseen brush 13 of the stepping switch 10 is actually going to stop or, as the spectator sees it, which will be the light 9 to remain lighted, as distinct from blinking on and off.

To those skilled in the art to which this invention relates, many changes in construction and widely differing embodiments and applications of the invention will suggest themselves without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The disclosures and the description herein are purely illustrative and are not intended to be in any sense limiting.

I claim:

1. An amusement device for chance operation, comprising: a housing having a translucent panel on the front subdivided into vertical and horizontal rows of squares, an electric lamp bulb behind each said square, a stepping switch in said housing having a moving contact and a series of stationary contacts, each said stationary contact being connected to one said lamp bulb and serving to light that said lamp bulb each time said moving contact engages that said stationary contact, so that movement of said moving contact of said stepping switch results in said lamp bulbs blinking on and off cyclically, a unique number on each said square, said numbers being arranged in irregular random order, and a switch for energizing and de-energizing said stepping switch, the connection of the stepping switch contacts to the bulbs behind the squares being arranged in different irregular order from that of the arrangement of the squares, so that the appearance of random blinking of the bulbs is presented to an onlooker during operation of the stepping switch, thereby serving to attract and hold attention, one said bulb remaining lighted when the moving contact of the deenergized stepping switch has become stationary.

2. An amusement device for chance operation comprising a generally rectangular flat housing having a translucent panel on the front subdivided into vertical and horizontal rows of squares, an electric lamp bulb behind each said square, a stepping switch in the housing behind the lamp bulbs with a series of stationary contacts each connected to one lamp bulb, a unique number on each square, said numbers being arranged in irregular, random order, a switch for energizing and deenergizing the stepping switch, the connection of the stepping switch contacts to the bulbs behind the squares being arranged in a different irregular order from that of the arrangement of the squares so that there is apparent random blinking of the bulbs during operation of the stepping switch, one bulb remaining lighted when the de-energized stepping switch has become stationary, and a time-delay timer switch means retaining energization of said stepping switch for an interval after opening of said switch means for maintaining energization and then de-energizing the stepping switch.

3. An amusement device for chance operation comprising a housing having a rectangular frame, a translucent rectangular panel on the front of said frame subdivided into a series of squares, an electric lamp bulb behind each said square, a stepping switch in the housing behind the lamp bulbs and having a motor, a brush moved by the motor in a cyclic pattern, a series of contacts arranged in a circle for one-at-a-time contact by the brush, each said contact being connected to one said lamp bulb, indicating indicia on each square and a pushbutton switch for starting the stepping switch when held down and letting its brush coast to a stop when released, the indicia for the areas being numbers arranged out of serial order in irregular numerical order so that no set pattern is observable, and the contacts of the stepping switch to the bulbs, being arranged in a diflerent but also irregular order from that of the arrangement of indicia, so that there is apparent random blinking of the lights during operation of the stepping switch, the blinking finally slowing down and ending with one lamp bulb lighting its particular indicium, and a timing mechanism in operative connection with said pushbutton switch for retaining energization of said stepping switch for a time interval of about fifteen to twenty seconds after release of said pushbutton switch.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,858,060 5/1932 Ricci 273-1422 2,333,002 10/ 1943 Goloborodko. 2,491,888 12/1949 Baker 273-138 XR 2,893,733 7/1959 ORourke 273-138 XR 2,998,252 8/1961 St. Martin 273-143 RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. A. W. KRAMER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN AMUSEMENT DEVICE FOR CHANCE OPERATION, COMPRISING: A HOUSING HAVING A TRANSCULENT PANEL ON THE FRONT SUBDIVIDED INTO VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL ROWS OF SQUARES, AN ELECTRIC LAMP BULB BEHIND EACH SAID SQUARE, A STEPPING SWITCH IN SAID HOUSING HAVING A MOVING CONTACT AND A SERIES OF STATIONARY CONTACTS, EACH SAID STATIONARY CONTACT BEING CONNECTED TO ONE SAID LAMP BULB AND SERVING TO LIGHT THAT SAID LAMP BULB EACH TIME SAID MOVING CONTACT ENGAGES THAT SAID STATIONARY CONTACT, SO THAT MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVING CONTACT OF SAID STEPPING SWITCH RESULTS IN SAID LAMP BULBS BLINKING ON AND OFF CYCLICALLY, A UNIQUE NUMBER ON EACH SAID SQUARE, SAID NUMBERS BEING ARRANGED IN IRREGULAR RANDOM ORDER, AND A SWITCH FOR ENERGIZING AND DE-ENERGIZING SAID STEPPING SWITCH, THE CONNECTION OF THE STEPPING SWITCHING CONTACTS TO THE BULBS BEHIND THE SQUARES BEING ARRANGED IN DIFFERENT IRREGULAR ORDER FROM THAT OF THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE SQUARES, SO THAT THE APPEARANCE OF RANDOM BLINKING OF THE BULBS IS PRESENTED TO AN ONLOOKER DURING OPERATION OF THE STEPPING SWITCH, THEREBY SEVING TO CONTRACT AND HOLD ATTENTION, ONE SAID BULB REMAINING LIGHTED WHEN THE MOVING CONTACT OF THE DEENERGIZED STEPPING SWITCH HAS BECOME STATIONARY. 